This invention relates generally to automatic weapons of the Gatling machine gun type and, more specifically, to the class of such guns known as 7.62 miniguns and improvements therein that serve to make them easier to use by incorporating a safing blade mechanism in the top cover of such guns.
The 7.62 minigun is a six-barreled, electrically-driven machine gun originally designed and built by General Electric Company in the mid 1960's for the U.S. military. This gun has been in use since its inception by both U.S. and foreign military forces.
The 7.62 minigun, hereinafter referred to as either a minigun or machine gun, utilizes a main housing enclosing and supporting a main rotary body known as a rotor assembly. Cartridges, each of which represents a single round of ammunition, are handled within the main housing by bolt assemblies. The minigun includes six bolt assemblies, one associated with each of the six barrels. The six bolt assemblies are attached to and surround the rotor assembly. The rotor assembly comprises the core axis of the minigun. The six barrels are attached to the forward portion of the rotor assembly and are arranged for rotation as a cluster around the core axis of the minigun. As the rotor rotates, the bolt assemblies are driven forward and rearward by a helical track incorporated within the main housing which, in turn, causes cartridges to be delivered to the bolt assemblies, chambered, and fired. The empty cartridges are extracted from the chambers and ejected. The rotor is rotated by means of a series of gears driven by an electric motor.
FIGS. 1-4 depict a basic prior art top cover and safing sector assembly. The top cover and safing sector assembly is externally attached to the main housing of a minigun. The safing sector forms a portion of the helical track used to drive the minigun bolt assemblies forward and rearward. The top cover is attached to the safing sector by means of a semi-permanent retaining pin that allows the top cover to pivot independently of the safing sector. The pivot feature between the top cover and the safing sector allows the top cover to be opened and closed independently of the safing sector. The top cover opens like a hatch to allow the operator of the minigun quick access to the inner workings thereof. After the top cover has been opened, the safing sector can be either partially or completely removed from the minigun. The purpose of partially removing the safing sector is to dislocate the critical section of the helical track that causes the bolt assemblies to fire the cartridges. After the safing sector has been partially or completely removed, the minigun cannot be fired, hence the term “safing sector.” Disabling the minigun so that it cannot fire is hereinafter referred to as safing the gun. Since their inception, all 7.62 miniguns have employed top covers and safing sectors of the same basic design.
There are essentially two situations in which it is desirable to safe the gun. The most common is when the minigun is loaded with live cartridges and is not in use. The second situation is when a jam occurs during use of the minigun, causing it to stop firing. In order to safe the gun in either of these situations, a conventional top cover and safing sector system requires the operator to first open the top cover to facilitate removal of the safing sector from its firing position. In a combat or training environment, safing the gun by removing both the top cover and safing sector is a time consuming and physical inconvenience.
Furthermore, when a jam occurs, the operator may be required to remove live cartridges from the rotor assembly without firing them. Doing so requires rotation of the barrels of the minigun. In order to cycle live cartridges through the minigun without firing them, the top cover and safing sector must be removed prior to rotating the barrels. Following removal of the top cover and safing sector, the barrels can be rotated manually, but not electrically. If the barrels are inadvertently rotated electrically with the safing sector in its partially or completely open position, the bolt assemblies will be damaged and the minigun will become inoperable. The barrels can only be rotated electrically when the safing sector is in its closed and firing position.
The prior art top cover and safing sector assembly described above and illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 is disadvantageous in that safing the gun requires opening of the top cover and removal of the safing sector. Simply opening the top cover does not provide improved safety or functionality. In addition, manual rotation of the hot barrels following recent use of the gun is difficult. Thus, safing a prior art minigun is at the very least inconvenient when attempting to do so in combat or training environments.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a replacement for top cover and safing sectors of the prior art that will enable an operator to safe a minigun without opening the top cover and to rotate the barrels electrically after the minigun has been safed.
In accordance with the illustrated preferred embodiment of the present invention, a one-piece top cover and safing blade assembly replaces the prior art two-piece top cover and safing sector. The top cover and safing blade assembly is arranged to be mounted using existing locating features within the main housing of the minigun, thereby facilitating its ready adaptation to existing miniguns.